Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union Re-examines Staffing Standards for Nursing Homes

The Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union (NSNU) has released a paper that recommends staffing ratios for Nova Scotia’s long-term care sector, and revisits issues discussed in the 2015-2016 Broken Homes report on the state of long-term care (LTC) in this province. It also fills a gap left by Government’s 2018 Expert Panel which was tasked with recommending staffing levels, a staff complement and skill mix for the long-term care sector. The Panel found no evidence to support the need for additional hours of resident care prompting the NSNU to seek out another professional opinion.

The paper, authored by Charlene Harrington, Ph.D., RN, Professor Emeritus from the University of California, San Francisco, was commissioned by the NSNU in 2019. Dr. Harrington is a renowned expert on long-term care staffing and an internationally recognized leader in LTC policy development.

“We collaborated to achieve some significant changes following Broken Homes. However, the most important recommendation from that report remains unrealized. Like Dr. Harrington, we believe a minimum average ratio of 4.1 hours of care per resident per day is required in order to keep our vulnerable seniors safe and healthy, and that’s not happening,” says Janet Hazelton, president of the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union.

Hazelton says the COVID-19 tragedy in LTC has brought to light how imperative it is to address staffing issues in LTC sooner rather than later. It has been a tragic reminder that our priorities need to be realigned.

“What happened around the world in long term care is heartbreaking and it’s quite possible we would have fared better with the right resources in place. We may never know. But I can state with 100% certainty that residents in long term care deserve more care and more people providing that specialized care.

The 27-page paper validates staffing claims made by the NSNU in 2016 while taking a hard look at the current needs of LTC residents. It also includes a preface that examines the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic in LTC and understaffing and other problems identified in the Broken Homes report.

“Nurses’ assessment skills and professional training are vital to quality resident care. This is more evident than ever in the midst of a pandemic. Given the information we have from these reports, the expert feedback from nurses working in long term care, and the current situation in nursing homes, we cannot afford to delay a meaningful response to the problem of understaffing in long-term care.”

The Staffing Standards in Nova Scotia Nursing Homes report can be found at nsnu.ca/StaffingStandards.